Fancy Bird Houses - Unique Style Birdhouses for Your Backyard
Fancy Birdhouses
Most gardeners enjoy having a birdhouse in the back yard. Nothing beats the melodious tones of the local bird population, and they also provide a visual treat with their industrious activities. Plus, one of the best perks of having birds in and around your yard is their natural instinct to feed on local insect population.
As an added benefit, putting up a birdhouse that is attractive in its own right, will add to the décor of your yard as well. Here we take a look at a variety of different unique and unusual birdhouses. Maybe you'll find one that would add to the beauty of your yard!
Styles of Birdhouses
Before choosing a particular style of a bird house, decide what types of birds you want to attract with your birdhouses. This is a very important step to research as different birds inhabit different parts of the country.
The birdhouse should be in proportion to the size of birds in your area. Chickadees and other small birds like wrens prefer smaller birdhouses where they feel safe. Avoid a house with a perch as this can attract some predators.
Once you choose a house, put it in a location like a pole or the side of a building where access for predators is difficult. Installing a bird house just outside the window is very popular in assisted living centers or nursing homes as some people who spend a lot of time in their room really enjoy the living nature just outside their window. This also applies for a homeowner as each morning when I get up and make coffee there are usually some birds on our feeder just outside the window having their breakfast. A motivation for me to get a moving!
Church Style Birdhouses
Church Birdhouses
One all time favorite style of birdhouses is the church birdhouse. You can find a variety of styles built on this same basic theme. Far and away the most popular style is those that are patterned after small rural chapels, harkening back to the earlier days of the United States.
There are others to be found as well. Houses modeled after the great church of Notre Dame, some built in a Gothic style, and even some Byzantine church houses are commonplace.
You can find a chuch birdhouse to reflect many of the great traditional churches.
Cottage Style Bird Houses
Cottage Bird Houses
Cottage houses come in all sorts of sizes and styles. You can find something quite ornate like a Victorian mansion, which stretches the limits of what you may decide is a cottage. These can come in styles that look like multi-story mansions including second floor railings and detailed bannisters, along with detailed roof lines.
Smaller, more quaint houses are suited for the smaller birds like wrens. A Cape Cod style house, or something similar that recalls the typical Northeast home is another favorite. Combined with a bird feeder, you will make your yard a natural home for your bird friends.
What are Your Favorite Designs?
These are just a few ideas I've seen for fancy birdhouses for the backyard. There are, of course, many more types of designs, like the ones with faces of animals and people, or ones shaped like a fishing hat or campers.
What are the best bird house designs you've seen? Leave a comment below with your ideas!
